Category Archives: London Talks

On 30 March 2017 the new National Army Museum opens with an exciting new events programme. Over April and May visitors are able to enjoy free themed tours and talks and attend debates on Brexit and the army and art and the British Army. The Easter holiday and spring half term also provide opportunities for children to join in the fun from a robotics challenge to making their own comic. Whatever your interest or age there is something for you to enjoy this Spring at the new National Army Museum.

Highlights

Women soldiers tour

1 April and 6 May, 2.30pm

Free

The first Saturday of each month for a 30-minute guided tour of the galleries exploring 100 years of women in the army. In 1917 the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps was founded. This was the first time women could join the army outside of nursing roles. Since then there have been a number of developments for women in the army, culminating in last year’s lifting of the ban on women in combat roles.

Robotics Easter Challenge

1 – 17 April, sessions at 10.30am, 11.30am, 1.15pm, 2.15pm and 3.15pm

Free

Can you master our robotic arms ? Discover how the army uses technology with our robotics challenge. Can you master the robotic arms to complete missions?

Mission 2: Level up and try using a spoon with your robotic arm to fill the basket. It’s harder than it sounds!

Mission 3: Can you create an ‘eggcellent’ piece of art with your robotic arm? Manoeuvre your arm using pens and stamps. You might just end up on the wall of fame!

Book early to guarantee a space.

Too proud to fight

7 April, 11.30am

Free

A century on from America’s entry into the First World War, Dr Graham Cross explores how we look back on that pivotal decision. The United States of America entered the First World War on 6 April 1917. While British narratives recognise the American contribution, they often also focus on the lateness of entry and the ‘Associate’ status of American belligerence. Graham will discuss the factors that drove the American intervention. He will also examine how British hopes and expectations, both at the time and since, colour our understanding of America’s involvement in the conflict.

Dr Graham Cross is a lecturer in American History at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The Gaza stalemate and Beersheba breakthrough

14 April, 11.30am

Free

Robert Fleming explores the events and impact of the British Army’s campaigns in the Middle East during the First World War. The Gallipoli campaign of 1915 failed to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the First World War. The result for the British Army was a long and bloody struggle through Sinai, Palestine and Syria that would help determine the fate of the Middle East for years to come.

Robert Fleming is the Templer Study Centre Manager at the National Army Museum.

Love and attraction in propaganda

21 April, 11.30am

Free

Professor Jo Fox explores how love and sexual attraction were used to mobilise the nation during the World Wars. Using examples from newspapers, postcards, posters, songs and films, Jo will demonstrate how the promise of love, sex and romance was used to encourage enlistment during the First and Second World Wars.

Jo Fox is a professor of Modern British and European History at the University of Durham.

War artists and the press

28 April, 11.30am

Free

Emma Mawdsley looks at artists’ depiction of war in the press of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Art has always been a tool for reporting news. But in the age before photography, artists provided the only images of war zones. In the 19th century, as the thirst for authentic images of conflict grew, newspapers sent artists to accompany troops to war. The images didn’t merely complement the written words, they formed the substance of reporting.

Emma Mawdsley is a Senior Research Curator at the National Army Museum and curator of the War Paint exhibition.

African women in the First World War

5 May, 11.30am

Free

Join Dr Anne Samson and discover the different roles African women have played during war. From camp followers and labourers to spies and snipers, African women of all ethnicities, ages and creeds have played a significant, albeit hidden, role in war. Using the First World War as a hook, Dr Anne Samson will explore the different roles women played in the conduct of war in Africa in the early 20th century. Dr Anne Samson is an author and historian specialising in Africa and the First World War.

A history of army nursing: 1854-1918

12 May, 11.30am

Free

To mark International Nurses Day Professor Christine Hallett traces the history of army nursing from the Crimean War until the end of the First World War. Starting with Florence Nightingale’s initial efforts in the Crimean War, she will continue through to the creation of nursing services during the Boer War and the First World War. She will also draw comparisons with similar nursing services in the US military and the Commonwealth, as well as the emergence of the largely voluntary Red Cross.

Christine Hallett is Professor of Nursing History at The University of Manchester.

Exploring the Women’s Royal Army Corps collection

19 May, 11.30am

Free

Dr Alastair Massie shares fascinating stories from the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) collection. On 1 February 1949 the WRAC was founded, allowing women to serve in a wide range of army roles. After the WRAC disbanded in 1992, the National Army Museum took over its collection. Join Alastair as he draws on official documentation, photographs and other personal items to share fascinating stories from the archive.

Dr Alastair Massie is the Head of Academic Access at the National Army Museum.

Discover the Ministry of Women graphic novel and have a go at making your own comic. To mark 100 years since the formation of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, the National Army Museum has created a graphic novel, Ministry of Women, featuring the stories of women who have served in the army. Join our hands-on workshop where you can learn how to draw one of the graphic novel’s characters – army code breaker Betty – explore the objects used to inspire the novel, and make your own code! There will be five 45-minute sessions every day during the May half-term. Book early to guarantee a space.

If you would like further information or book tickets, visit the National Army Museum website here

London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here

One of the most significant changes in the City of London Police Force over the past seven decades has been the role of women in policing, seeing them rise ‘from giving advice to girls who have drifted into bad company and visiting the parents of children caught pilfering’ to positions of the highest authority in the force. Join our panellists*, Detective Chief Inspectors Kerrie Gower and Claire Cresswell; Special Constable Sylvia Edwards; and former members of COLP Belinda Harding MBE, Pam Mayes and Cathy Robertson, who will reflect on their own personal experiences and also highlight some of the challenges facing women in the police today.

Billingsgate Roman House and Baths – April 2017

The only domestic Roman structure in London reopens to the public in April 2017.

Lower Thames Street is home to one of Roman London’s most fascinating remains. The Billingsgate Roman Bathhouse was discovered in 1848 having survived 2,000 years of building, fires and bombings. Explore this fascinating insight into ancient life in the City on a 45-min guided tour and discover the remains of the Roman Bathhouse which lies hidden beneath office buildings. Find out more about the bathhouse and uncover more of hidden Roman London.

The Romans established Londinum in approximately AD43: within 30 years they are thought to have constructed a wooden amphitheatre. The remains were discovered during the redevelopment of the Guildhall Art Gallery in 1985 and offer a fascinating insight into the bloody and barbaric theatre of Roman London. More than 7,000 spectators sat on tiered wooden benches in the open air to watch wild animal fights and the execution of criminals. Join a trained archaeologist for the chance to handle Roman objects.

Echoes Across the Century

Guildhall Art Gallery | 31 March – 16 July 2017 | Free

The Great War involved huge sacrifice, both on the front line, as well as at home. Guildhall Art Gallery’s new exhibition explores the personal stories of those left behind as they grappled with separation from loved ones and kept the country moving.

Immerse yourself in this multisensory journey that explores craftsmanship, memory and separation. Featuring artist Jane Churchill’s installation Degrees of Separation, the exhibition weaves in the work of 240 students as they imagine the impact of the war.

Explore the treasures in the stacks of Guildhall Library including a 13th century copy of Petrus de Riga’s Aurora (a metrical Latin version of the Bible) and the complete run of the London Gazette from 1665 to the present. Join the librarians for a behind the scenes tour and find out more about the history of the library itself.

Guildhall Library is one of the oldest public reference libraries in the world and specialises in the history of London. The Library’s printed books collection comprises over 200,000 titles dating from the 15th to the 21st centuries and includes books, pamphlets, periodicals, trade directories and poll books. Guildhall Library is also home to an internationally renowned food and drink collection and specialist collections devoted to Samuel Pepys and Thomas More among others.

UNESCO Memory of the World – The Great Parchment Book

City of London Heritage Gallery | On display from 29 April 2017 | Free

Also known as the Domesday Book of the Ulster Plantation, the Great Parchment Book was inscribed to the UK register of the UNESCO Memory of the World in June 2016.

The book is a highly significant historical source for the people of Northern Ireland and follows the deliberate settlement of English and Scottish Protestants in Ulster by James I. A survey was conducted in 1639 to gather information about the land and all contracts, with the data brought together in the ‘great parchment Booke’.

Illegible for over 200 years, it can be viewed in the City of London Heritage Gallery from 29 April 2017 for a limited period.

If you would like further information or book tickets, visit the City of London website here

London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here

Historic Royal Palaces offer a series of events between January and March, including The People’s Revolt, Ghost Tours and Twilight Tours.

The People’s Revolt

Selected dates in March

18.00, 18.30, 19.00, 19.25, 19.50

Tower of London

Infiltrate the Tower of London after hours – The People’s Revolt is an immersive, interactive experience from ground-breaking theatre company differencEngine in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces. Experience what it’s like to be at the centre of a present day ‘Peasants’ Revolt’. Live the build-up through digital storytelling then blur the lines between history and reality as you storm the Tower and decide the fate of the nation.

Tickets: £22.50/ £20.50

Ghost Tours

Saturdays and Sundays to 26 February, 18:30 and 19:15

Hampton Court Palace

Visit the spot where two bodies were discovered in shallow graves in the 1870s, hear the tale of the Tudor royal nurse whose spirit is said to stalk her former apartments, and decide for yourself the origin of the mysterious figure caught on CCTV in the palace in the dead of night as you experience the unique atmosphere of Hampton Court after dark…if you dare.

Tickets: £27.50

Twilight Tours

Selected Sundays to 2 April

Tower of London

The Tower’s Yeoman Warders give an exclusive twilight tour of the Tower. Take in world famous sights such as Traitor’s Gate, the scaffold site and the Bloody Tower, and be appalled and amazed by tales of prisoners and past residents.

Tickets: £27.50 / £25 Historic Royal Palaces members

Eerie Evening Tours

6, 13, 20 and 27 January and 3, 10, 17 and 24 February, 18.45

Kensington Palace

When all the gates are locked and the lights are out, is the palace truly asleep? Explore the weird and wonderful world of Victorian spiritualism and the 19th century obsession with life after death. Be guided through the shadowy state apartments to relive the sorrow of heartbroken Kings and frustrated future Queens.

Tickets: £27.50/ £24.75 HRP members, unsuitable for persons aged under the age of 16.

Brunchtime Lecture: Panto and performance

Saturday 14 January, 11:00 – 12:30

Kensington Palace

He’s behind you! This lecture gives an insight into the world of Victorian pantomime, music hall, theatre and performance. Find out more about cross-dressing actors and backstage shenanigans in an era that brought entertainment to the masses. Hear from Kate Howard, historian and Creative Director for the UK’s oldest professional costumed historical interpretation company, Past Pleasures Ltd.

The Jewish community has played an important part in the City of London ever since their arrival with William the Conqueror in 1066, but it has not always been easy or straightforward. The tumultuous relationship with the crown has ranged from Jews being valued as advisors to vilified as criminals. Listen in on the panel as they explore the part the Tower played in Jewish history and the important role the Jewish community continues to play in London today.

Tickets: £10 / £9 members and concessions (includes glass of wine)

Palace Pub Quiz

Friday 3 February, 18:00-21:30

Banqueting House

Back for the second year, Banqueting House will host a for a pub quiz with a difference. Sit under the beautiful ceiling painted by Sir Peter Paul Rubens and test your knowledge on current affairs, sport, art, food and film There will be a few rounds for the history lovers but plenty of other subjects as well, so pick your team wisely for this fun, fast-paced quiz, with prizes, drinks and some surprises!

Tickets: £15

Tower of Love: Romance is Dead

13 February, 18.30-21.00An anti-Valentines sketching special, dedicated to those who died at the Tower in the name of love. Enter the drama and tragedy of the Tudor court, and explore Henry VIII’s doomed love affair with Anne Boleyn. Sketch our costumed models, posing as their ghosts at the site of her burial in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula. Plus create miniature love tokens with guest artist Lozzy Bones, in the Chapel’s crypt.

Tickets: £24/£20 concessions

If you would like further information or book tickets, visit the HRP website here

London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here

If you want to go beyond the headlines about conservation, ZSL (the Zoological Society of London) are holding a fascinating series of scientific events in 2017.

ZSL’s experts will be joined by guest speakers from across the globe to debate some of the most pressing issues facing the natural world.

Science Behind the Scenes: CSI of the Sea: pollutants in our seas

Tuesday 10 January 2017, 6.30pm – 8pm

Tickets cost £5

ZSL is inviting the public to go behind the scenes of a stranded harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) post-mortem examination. Live-streamed from the lab to the lecture hall, with commentary and Q&A from the team’s lead pathologist, the evening will shine a light on the work of the UK’s Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP); the team who investigate the causes of marine mammal stranding to determine what can be done to protect these species and inform future conservation action.

Saving pangolins: Earth’s most trafficked wild mammals

Tuesday 21 February 2017, 6pm – 7.45pm

Free event

Pangolins, or ‘scaly anteaters’ are the most poached and trafficked wild mammals in the world. Despite more pangolins having been removed from the wild over the past decade than elephants, rhinoceros and tigers combined, pangolins have, until recently, been the forgotten victims of the illegal wildlife trade.

At this event a panel of conservation experts and pangolin specialists from across the world will discuss how we can turn the tide for this unique species, and ensure that it isn’t pushed over the brink to extinction.

Immigrants to the rescue! How can immigration help to save threatened wildlife populations?

Tuesday 14 March 2017, 6pm – 7.45pm

Free event

Small populations of threatened species the world over can be particularly vulnerable to random events such as natural disasters or disease outbreaks, as well as the risks of inbreeding. One potential solution is to introduce external unrelated individuals (or ‘immigrants’) into these populations to increase genetic diversity – a form of ‘genetic rescue’. And yet, despite the promise of this solution, there has been very little uptake in the process.

This panel discussion will explore the hurdles that genetic rescue presents, why there are fewer than 20 published studies of its use, and how it could help conserve species across the animal kingdom.

Conserving the mountain chicken frog: the impact of chytridiomycosis under scrutiny

Tuesday 11 April 2017, 6pm – 7.45pm

Free event

As the chytrid fungus continues to devastate amphibian populations worldwide, the mountain chicken frog in the Caribbean has provided researchers a unique opportunity to gain further understanding of the disease. Since the emergence of the fungus on the islands of Montserrat and Dominica in the 2000s, the species has seen one of the fastest species declines ever recorded, but has provided the opportunity for the disease to be studied in real time.

This event will explore the work of the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme, a world-leading consortium including ZSL scientists, that is devoted to understanding how to mitigate the impact of the chytrid fungus by using the mountain chicken frog case study as a model.

Wildlife of the West African Savannah: unfamiliar and under threat

Tuesday 9 May 2017, 6pm – 7.45pm

Free event

From elephants and lions to giraffes, cheetah and wild dogs, the wildlife of the West African savannah is iconic – and facing the real threat of extinction. Historically this region was renowned for its wildlife and teemed with the large fauna that is more typically associated with East and Southern Africa, but these species which once roamed huge areas are now restricted to isolated pockets of habitat and face mounting threats to their survival, from poaching to habitat loss.

Celebrating the incredible biodiversity of the region, this event will explore how conservationists are working to protect this wildlife for future generations.

The state of the Thames

Tuesday 11 July 2017, 6pm – 7.45pm

Free event

Dive beneath the waters of London’s iconic river at this event to discover the diverse world of wildlife that call the river and its estuary home. Estuaries are one of the world’s most productive ecosystems, and the Thames is no exception.

From seahorses and smelt to eels and seals, this evening will explore how far the Thames has come since being declared ‘biologically dead’ in the 1950s, as well as how conservationists are working to help it thrive.

All events are held in the Huxley Lecture Theatre, Main Meeting Rooms, ZSL London Zoo, NW1 4RY.

Doors open an hour before the start time of the event, with seats allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.

If you would like further information or book tickets, visit the ZSL website here

London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here